The thematic focus of this year's festival was to promote empathy, understanding and unity among the audience. The week-long programme included screenings, workshops and a competition programme. The competition programme received 196 entries from 37 countries, from which the selection committee chose 48 films from 18 countries. Of these, 12 films competed in local categories and 36 in international categories. These films were judged by an international jury and the audience, with the winners announced during the closing ceremony.

Founder of ANIMAFILM, its director and also chairman of the Azerbaijan Animation Association is Mr. Rashid Aghamaliyev, who studied film science at Palacký University in Olomouc and settled in the Czech Republic. This year's edition was also attended by Mr. Martin Vandas, a well-known Czech producer of both feature and short animated films and the first president of the important animation company MAUR film, the productions of which have been nominated for an Oscar. He took on the role of a juror and presented the children's films Don´t Blow it up, Hello Summer, Criss Cross, Suzie in the Gardens, The Pit, The Concrete Jungle and The Tree.

Children from the 11^th Boarding School in Bilgeh also actively participated in the festival. The school is becoming famous with Gurama children's animation studio, founded by one of the fathers of Azerbaijani animation, Mr. Elchin Akhundov.

H. Halfarová, M. Lubojacký